CN115367356A - Warehousing system and management method, interaction method, server and client equipment thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a storage system, a storage system management method, an interaction method, a server, a client device, a storage medium, and a computer program product. The warehousing system includes a server, three-dimensional shelves and handling equipment. The server is used to send task instructions to the handling equipment; the three-dimensional shelf is provided with multiple storage positions, and is also provided with a first track and a picking channel. The picking channel is laid on at least one storage position and the second. Between two tracks, the first track is used for the moving of the handling equipment, and the picking channel is used for the picking equipment or pickers to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment; the handling equipment is used to carry the picking equipment or Items picked by pickers from the storage space adjacent to the picking lane, or items moved from other places to the first track. This kind of storage system and storage management scheme has high efficiency and safety in picking and placing items.

Description

Warehousing system and its management method, interaction method, server, client device

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, and more specifically relates to a warehousing system, a warehousing system management method, an interaction method, a server, a client device, a storage medium, and a computer program product.

Background technique

In the existing intensive storage intelligent warehouse, the handling equipment such as the four-way shuttle is usually used to realize the operation of goods in and out of the warehouse. The four-way shuttle can run on the horizontal and vertical tracks of the three-dimensional shelf, and can also automatically reach the bottom of the cargo space to pick up and place the goods, realizing fully automatic warehouse entry and exit operations. However, since the handling equipment needs to switch frequently on different tracks, and the handling equipment can only carry pallets to the site for full-box goods-to-person picking, the efficiency of this cargo in-out solution is relatively low, especially for shipments Scenarios such as large and high-frequency medium-warehouses, small-warehouses, and supermarkets are difficult to meet the usage needs.

Therefore, to sum up, a new storage system is needed to solve the above problems.

Contents of the invention

The present application has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. The application provides a storage system, storage system management method, interaction method, server, client device, storage medium and computer program product.

According to one aspect of the present application, a storage system is provided, including a server, a three-dimensional shelf and handling equipment, the server is used to send task instructions to the handling equipment; the three-dimensional shelf is provided with a plurality of cargo positions, and is also provided with a first track and a picking channel , the picking channel is laid between at least one storage space and the first track, the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for the picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment; The equipment is used to carry items picked by picking equipment or pickers from the storage space adjacent to the picking channel based on task instructions, or to move items from other places to the first track.

Exemplarily, the storage system further includes a safety protection device, and the safety protection device is arranged between the picking channel and the first track.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf is also provided with a second track, the second track is laid between the first track and the picking channel, and the second track is parallel to the first track and the picking channel; the safety protection device can be installed along the second track move.

Exemplarily, a third track is also provided in the three-dimensional shelf, the third track is laid perpendicular to the first track, and part of the third track is laid under the cargo space, and the handling equipment is further used to drive along the third track into the corresponding cargo space , and remove the items on the corresponding storage space or place the items on the corresponding storage space.

Exemplarily, a fourth track is laid on the surface of the picking aisle, the fourth track is laid perpendicular to the first track, the fourth track is connected to the third track laid under the adjacent cargo space of the picking aisle, and the handling equipment is also used to One track switches to the fourth track, and enters below the corresponding cargo space along the fourth track and the third track.

Exemplarily, the upper surface of the fourth track is flush with the upper surface of the third track.

Exemplarily, a plurality of first rails are arranged in the three-dimensional shelf, and picking channels are laid on one or both sides of some of the first rails; some of the first rails are adjacent to the storage space, and the handling equipment is also used to switch from the first rail To the third track, through the third track to enter the bottom of the cargo space for pick-and-place operations.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf includes a first partition and a second partition. The first partition is provided with a plurality of parallel first rails, and at least one side of each first rail is laid with a picking channel; the second partition does not contain Pick a channel.

Exemplarily, the storage system further includes: an elevator, used for transporting items and/or transporting handling equipment between different layers of the three-dimensional shelf, and the handling equipment reaches the elevator along the fourth track or the first track laid on the picking channel .

Exemplarily, the warehousing system further includes picking equipment, which is located on the picking channel and is used for placing items on the handling equipment on the storage space or taking out items on the storage space and placing them on the handling equipment.

Exemplarily, one or more picking devices are set in any picking channel in the three-dimensional shelf, and one or more picking devices can move to different positions on the corresponding picking channel to perform item pick-and-place operations; or, the three-dimensional shelf There are multiple picking devices in any of the picking channels, and the position of each picking device in the multiple picking devices is fixed, and is used to pick and place items for a fixed location.

Exemplarily, the warehousing system further includes: a client, configured to receive task completion information; and send task completion information to the handling equipment, and notify the handling equipment to move to other locations along the first track.

Exemplarily, the server is also used to determine the operation mode of the items on the adjacent shelf of the picking channel according to the current operation demand, and the operation mode is the first operation mode or the second operation mode; in the first operation mode: The picking equipment or pickers on the picking lane transfer items between the adjacent cargo space of the picking lane and the handling equipment on the first track; The first track is switched to the fourth track, and along the fourth track and the third track, it enters under the adjacent cargo space of the picking channel, and picks and places items on the cargo space by itself.

According to another aspect of the present application, a storage system management method is provided, including: obtaining task information, the task information is used to indicate the pick-and-place task of the item; notifying the picking equipment or client task information located in the picking channel, indicating the picking equipment or picking Personnel perform the task of picking items from or placing items on the storage space adjacent to the picking channel. The picking channel is laid between at least one storage space and the first track of the three-dimensional shelf. A track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for the picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment; receive feedback information about task execution sent by the picking equipment or the client.

Exemplarily, the task information includes the goods identification information of the goods in the target order, and notifying the picking equipment or the client in the picking channel of the task information includes: sending the goods identification information of any current goods in the target order to the picking equipment or the client ; In response to the picking completion information related to the current goods received from the monitoring equipment, or in response to the picking completion information received from the picking equipment or the client, send the goods identification information of the next goods in the target order to the picking equipment or the client , wherein the monitoring equipment is used to identify the goods carried by the handling equipment to determine whether the current goods have been picked.

Exemplarily, the task information includes the location indication information of the goods in the target order, and notifying the picking equipment or the client in the picking channel of the task information includes: sending the picking equipment or the client the first order information related to any current goods in the target order. A position indication message, to indicate that the picking equipment or picking personnel arrive at the first target position, and the first target position is the channel position corresponding to the position of the current cargo on the picking channel; and/or, the method also includes: sending to the handling device The second position indication information related to any current goods in the target order is used to instruct the handling equipment to move to the second target position, and the second target position is a track position corresponding to the position of the current goods on the first track.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf includes a plurality of areas, each area includes at least one cargo space, and the plurality of areas correspond to a plurality of preset track positions on the first track, and the second target position is a plurality of preset track positions The preset track location in , corresponding to the region where the current cargo is located.

Exemplarily, a second track is laid between the picking channel and the first track, and the second track is used for the safety protection device to move on it. While sending the first position indication information or the second position indication information related to any current goods in the target order to the handling equipment, the method also includes: sending a first movement instruction to the safety protection device to control the movement of the safety protection device To the blocking position, the blocking position is the track position corresponding to the current position of the goods on the second track.

Exemplarily, the feedback information includes task completion information, and the method further includes: in response to the task completion information, sending a second movement instruction to the transport equipment, so as to control the transport equipment to move to the target site.

According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an interactive method, including: receiving task information from a server, the task information is used to instruct to perform picking of items from a storage space adjacent to the picking lane or in a storage space adjacent to the picking lane The task of placing items on the shelf, the picking channel is laid between at least one cargo space of the three-dimensional shelf and the first track, the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for picking personnel to move between the cargo space and the handling equipment Transfer items among them; output task information for the picker to view; receive feedback information about task execution entered by the picker; return feedback information to the server.

Exemplarily, the task information includes position indication information of goods in the target order, the position indication information includes first position indication information related to any current goods, and the first position indication information is used to instruct the picker to arrive at the first target position, The first target position is an aisle position on the picking aisle corresponding to the position where the current goods are located.

Exemplarily, the method further includes: sending second position indication information related to the current cargo to the handling equipment, so as to instruct the handling equipment to move to a second target position, and the second target position is on the first track corresponding to the position of the current cargo. corresponding orbital position.

According to another aspect of the present application, a server is provided, including a processor and a memory, wherein computer program instructions are stored in the memory, and the computer program instructions are used to execute the above storage system management method when run by the processor.

Exemplarily, the task information includes item identification information of items in the target order, and the server further includes a monitoring device for identifying items carried by the handling device to determine whether any current item in the target order has been picked.

According to another aspect of the present application, a client device is provided, including a display screen, a processor, and a memory. The display screen is used to display task information, and computer program instructions are stored in the memory. When the computer program instructions are run by the processor, they are used to Execute the interaction method as above.

According to another aspect of the present application, a storage medium is provided, on which program instructions are stored, and the program instructions are used to execute the above storage system management method during operation; or, the program instructions are used to execute the above storage system management method during operation. interaction method.

According to another aspect of the present application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product includes a computer program, and the computer program is used to execute the above warehouse system management method when running; or, the computer program is used to execute the above warehouse system management method when running interactive method.

According to the warehousing system, warehousing system management method, interaction method, server, client device, storage medium, and computer program product of the embodiments of the present application, a picking channel is set between the cargo location and the first track on which the handling equipment moves, It is convenient for picking equipment or picking personnel to move on the picking channel, and then it is convenient for picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment. This solution can improve the efficiency of picking and placing items and reduce the operating cost of the storage system. In addition, since the picking equipment or picking personnel and the handling equipment have their own passageways, the safety is also high.

Description of drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent through a more detailed description of the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used together with the embodiments of the present application to explain the present application, and do not constitute limitations to the present application. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an example electronic device for implementing a storage system management method and device according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a storage system according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic flowchart of a storage system management method according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic flowchart of an interaction method according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a storage system management device according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a server according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of an interaction device according to an embodiment of the present application; and

Fig. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of a client device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

With the development of intelligent technologies such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data, the demand for using these intelligent technologies to transform and upgrade the traditional logistics industry has become increasingly strong, and intelligent logistics (Intelligent Logistics System) has become a research hotspot in the field of logistics. Smart logistics uses artificial intelligence, big data, various information sensors, radio frequency identification technology, global positioning system (GPS) and other Internet of Things devices and technologies, and is widely used in basic logistics such as material transportation, warehousing, distribution, packaging, loading and unloading, and information services. The activity link realizes the intelligent analysis and decision-making, automatic operation and high-efficiency optimized management of the material management process. The Internet of Things technology includes sensing equipment, RFID technology, laser infrared scanning, infrared induction recognition, etc. The Internet of Things can effectively connect the materials in the logistics with the network, monitor the materials in real time, and sense the humidity and temperature of the warehouse. Data, guarantee the storage environment of materials. Through big data technology, all the data in the logistics can be sensed and collected, uploaded to the data layer of the information platform, and the data can be filtered, mined, analyzed and other operations, and finally the business process (such as transportation, storage, access, picking, packaging, distribution Picking, delivery, inventory, distribution and other links) to provide accurate data support. The application direction of artificial intelligence in logistics can be roughly divided into two types: 1) Unmanned trucks, AGVs, AMRs, forklifts, shuttles, stackers, unmanned delivery vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, Smart devices such as service robots, robotic arms, and smart terminals replace part of the labor force; 2) Software such as transportation equipment management systems, warehouse management, equipment scheduling systems, and order distribution systems driven by computer vision, machine learning, and operational optimization technologies or algorithms The system improves labor efficiency. With the research and progress of smart logistics, this technology has been applied in many fields, such as retail and e-commerce, electronic products, tobacco, medicine, industrial manufacturing, shoes and clothing, textiles, food and other fields.

In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the present application is not limited by the exemplary embodiments described here. Based on the embodiments of the present application described in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

In order to at least partially solve the above technical problems, embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse system, a warehouse system management method, an interaction method, a server, a client device, a storage medium, and a computer program product. According to the warehousing system and its management method of the embodiment of the present application, by adding a picking channel, picking personnel or picking equipment are allowed to realize the transfer of items between the storage space and the handling equipment on the picking channel. This scheme has higher efficiency in picking and placing items. This warehousing system and its management solution are suitable for any scenario, and are especially suitable for scenarios such as medium-sized warehouses, small-sized warehouses, and supermarkets with large shipments and high frequency.

First, an example electronic device 100 for implementing the storage system management method and apparatus according to the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , an electronic device 100 includes one or more processors 102 and one or more storage devices 104 . Optionally, the electronic device 100 may further include an input device 106, an output device 108, and an image capture device 110, and these components are interconnected through a bus system 112 and/or other forms of connection mechanisms (not shown). It should be noted that the components and structure of the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 1 are only exemplary rather than limiting, and the electronic device may also have other components and structures as required.

The processor 102 may be implemented in at least one hardware form of a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), and a microprocessor. The processor 102 It can be one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processor (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other forms of processing units with data processing capabilities and/or instruction execution capabilities, And other components in the electronic device 100 can be controlled to perform desired functions.

The storage device 104 may include one or more computer program products, which may include various forms of computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory and/or non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and/or cache memory (cache). The non-volatile memory may include, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, a flash memory, and the like. One or more computer program instructions can be stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor 102 can execute the program instructions to implement the client functions (implemented by the processor) in the embodiments of the present application described below and/or other desired functionality. Various application programs and various data, such as various data used and/or generated by the application programs, may also be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

The input device 106 may be a device used by a user to input instructions, and may include one or more of a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and a touch screen.

The output device 108 may output various information (such as images and/or sounds) to the outside (such as a user), and may include one or more of a display, a speaker, and the like. Optionally, the input device 106 and the output device 108 may be integrated together and implemented by using the same interactive device (such as a touch screen).

The image capture device 110 can capture images, and store the captured images in the storage device 104 for use by other components. The image capture device 110 may be a separate camera or a camera in a mobile terminal or the like. It should be understood that the image capturing device 110 is only an example, and the electronic device 100 may not include the image capturing device 110 . In this case, other devices capable of capturing images may be used to capture images, and the captured images may be sent to the electronic device 100 .

Exemplarily, the electronic equipment used to implement the storage system management method and apparatus according to the embodiments of the present application can be implemented on equipment such as mobile terminals, computers or remote servers. Wherein, the mobile terminal includes but is not limited to: a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant, personal digital assistant), a touch-screen all-in-one machine, a wearable device, and the like.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a storage system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2 , the storage system 200 may include a server 210 , a three-dimensional shelf 220 and a handling device 230 .

The server 210 is used to send task instructions to the transport equipment 230 . The three-dimensional shelf 220 is provided with a plurality of storage positions, and is also provided with a first rail 221 and a picking channel 222 , and the picking channel 222 is laid between at least one storage position and the first track 221 . A shelf is a location in a warehouse where items are placed. For example, one side of the picking channel 222 is adjacent to a plurality of storage positions, and the other side is adjacent to the first track 221 . The first track 221 is used for the transport equipment 230 to move on it, and the picking channel 222 is used for the picking equipment or picking personnel 250 to transfer items between the storage space and the transport equipment 230 . The transport equipment 230 is used for transporting the items taken out by the picking equipment or picking personnel 250 from the storage space adjacent to the picking channel 222 based on the task instruction, or transporting the received items to the first track 221 .

The handling equipment 230 may be any suitable equipment capable of handling items, including but not limited to at least one of the following: a four-way shuttle, a hoist, a box-type handling robot, an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), Forklifts, stackers, etc.

Exemplarily, the item may be any one of an empty container, goods taken out of a container, or a container containing goods. A container is an object used to hold goods, including but not limited to various forms of boxes, pallets, etc. Optionally, an identifier that uniquely identifies the item may also be set on the item, and the identifier includes but is not limited to a two-dimensional code, a barcode, an RFID tag, and the like.

Exemplarily, the handling equipment 230 may transport it to other places after receiving the items taken out from the storage space, for example, the other place may be a station for handling equipment or containers to stop for operations, for example, it may be a warehouse-out stations, picking stations, inventory stations, etc. For example, at the site, automated picking equipment or picking personnel can load items on the handling equipment, unload items from the handling equipment, or take inventory of the items, etc. A shelf is a location in a warehouse where items are placed.

Exemplarily, in the process of executing the picking task, the server 210 may first receive order information about the target order. The server 210 may generate task information based on the order information. The task information may be information for instructing to pick at least some of the items in the target order. The server 210 may issue picking task information to the picking equipment or picking personnel, and issue task instructions for controlling the handling equipment 230 to perform the handling task to the handling equipment 230 . Subsequently, the picking equipment or picking personnel can move to the location near the item to be picked, and at the same time, the server 210, or the picking equipment or picking personnel control the handling equipment to a position near the item to be picked. The picking equipment or picking personnel can then place the items to be picked on the pallets of the handling equipment. Then the above process can be repeated until the picking task of the entire target order is completed or the amount of items carried by the handling equipment reaches the threshold, and the handling equipment can be controlled to the work site, and the picked items can be delivered out of the warehouse. Although the general workflow of each device in the storage system is described above using the picking of items (that is, out of the warehouse) as an example, it can be understood that the above devices in the storage system can also be applied to the reverse storage of items.

In addition to handling the goods taken out of the container, the handling equipment can also carry other items such as empty containers or containers containing goods, which is similar to the handling principle of goods. For the convenience of description, the warehousing system and the warehousing system management method of the present application will be described below by taking goods as an example.

By way of example and not limitation, the server 210 may, according to the received order, determine the location of each goods contained in the order, and determine the handling equipment 230 that performs the handling of each goods, and send a message to the handling equipment 230 for performing the handling task. task instruction, to complete the delivery of the goods through the handling equipment 230. When the goods included in the order are located on a high level (not the first level), it is also necessary to transport the handling equipment 230 or the goods carried by the handling equipment 230 to the first level through the elevator, and then transport the goods to the outbound site to complete the outbound delivery of the goods. library operations. FIG. 2 shows a hoist 240 . The process of warehousing goods is similar. The server 210 can determine the handling equipment 230 used to perform the handling task, send a task instruction to the handling equipment 230 to perform the handling task, and control the handling equipment 230 to carry the goods to be put into the warehouse. to the target location. Similarly, when the target floor where the target cargo space is located is located on a high level, the goods to be stored or the handling equipment 230 carrying the goods to be stored need to be moved to the target floor by the hoist 240, and then the goods are transported to the target space , to complete the storage of goods.

For example but not limitation, the three-dimensional shelf 220 can be regarded as one zone as a whole, or divided into multiple different zones, and each zone of the three-dimensional shelf 220 can include a single layer or multiple different layers. Each layer of the three-dimensional shelf 220 can be connected through at least one elevator 240 . The three-dimensional shelf 220 shown in FIG. 2 is a top view structure, so what is seen in FIG. 2 is the layout of a certain layer in the three-dimensional shelf 220 . In one example, the single layer presented in Figure 2 is itself a region. In another example, it is assumed that the layout of the cargo space of each floor is the same, that is, the cargo space of each floor is divided into areas A-F, and assuming that the three-dimensional shelf 220 has N floors in total, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, Then all the storage spaces in the A area of the 1-N layer can be divided into one area, all the storage areas in the B area of the 1-N layer can be divided into one area, and all the storage areas in the C area of the 1-N layer can be divided into one area. Divide into a zone, and so on. As shown in FIG. 2 , a single layer of the three-dimensional shelf 220 is provided with multiple cargo positions, and is provided with a first track 221 and a picking channel 222 . The first track 221 is used for the transport equipment 230 to move on it. The picking lane 222 can be used for picking personnel 250 to walk on or picking equipment to move or be fixedly installed on, so that the picking personnel 250 or picking equipment can transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment 230 .

By way of example and not limitation, the handling equipment 230 may be, for example, a four-way shuttle. Correspondingly, the three-dimensional shelf 220 is not only provided with the first track 221, but also can be provided with a track perpendicular to the first track 221, and the four-way shuttle can realize four directions of front, rear, left, and right along the track of the X direction and the track of the Y direction. move. For ease of understanding, FIG. 2 shows coordinate axes in the X direction and the Y direction.

It should be understood that the transport equipment 230 may also be a two-way shuttle. Correspondingly, the three-dimensional shelf 220 is provided with a first track 221 , and the two-way shuttle can move along the first track 221 in front and rear directions, but cannot move in other directions.

The handling equipment 230 can transport the items taken out by the picking equipment or the picking personnel 250 from the storage space adjacent to the picking channel 222 to other places, and can also transport the items from other places to the first track 221 to facilitate the picking equipment or the picking personnel 250 Place the item on the slot.

Based on the above warehousing system, a picking channel is added between the first track of the three-dimensional shelf and the cargo space, so that the picking personnel or picking equipment can easily move in the picking channel and transfer items between the cargo space and the handling equipment 230, which can improve The efficiency of picking and placing items can reduce the operating cost of the storage system.

In addition, since the picking equipment or picking personnel and the handling equipment have their own passageways, the safety is also high.

Exemplarily, the storage system may further include a safety protection device, and the safety protection device is arranged between the picking channel and the first track. The extension direction of the safety protection device may be parallel to the extension direction of the picking channel 222 and the first rail 221 . As a physical barrier between the picking channel 222 and the first rail 221, the safety protection device can play a role of safety protection.

Exemplarily, the safety protection device may be a safety gate. In one embodiment, the safety guard may be a device that can be manually pushed and pulled by the picker. In this case, the picker can manually pull the safety guard to the current position while standing on the picking lane to transfer the item. In addition, in this case, the number of safety guards may be one or more. Preferably, if the safety protection device is a device that can be manually pushed and pulled by the picker, a single safety protection device is provided between each picking channel 222 and each corresponding first track 221 . In another embodiment, the safety protection device may also be a device that is automatically controlled based on instructions from the server 210 . For example, the server 210 can determine the location where the picker should arrive next according to the order information, and then control the safety protection device at the location to close. In this case, the number of safety guards may be one or more. Preferably, if the safety protection device is an automatic control device, multiple safety protection devices are provided between each picking channel 222 and each corresponding first track 221 .

Based on the safety protection device in the above-mentioned storage system, it can protect the picking personnel from colliding with the handling equipment, and can effectively improve the safety of the picking personnel and handling equipment mixing in the three-dimensional shelf.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf 220 can also be provided with a second track 223, the second track 223 is laid between the first track 221 and the picking channel 222, and the second track 223 is in pairs with the first track 221 and the picking channel 222 Parallel; the safety guard can move along the second track 223 . That is, the second track 223 is the moving track of the safety protection device.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the second track 223 may be laid between the first track 221 and the picking lane 222 and parallel to the first track 221 and the picking lane 222 two by two. After receiving the movement instruction, the safety protection device can move along the second track 223 to control the safety protection device to move to the target position. Certainly, the safety protection device can also move along the second track 223 under the manual push and pull of the picker. It should be noted that the second track 223 shown in FIG. 2 is only a schematic position, not an actual second track.

Based on the second track laid in the three-dimensional shelf, the safety protection device can move along the second track, thereby facilitating the rapid change of position of the safety protection device, so that the safety protection device can realize its safety protection function in time.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf 220 is also provided with a third track 224, the third track 224 is laid perpendicular to the first track 221, and part of the third track 224 is laid under the cargo space, and the handling equipment 230 is further used to move along the third track. 224 drives under the corresponding cargo space, and removes the items on the corresponding cargo space or places the items on the corresponding cargo space.

Referring again to FIG. 2 , a third track 224 is shown. It should be noted that the third track 224 shown in FIG. 2 is only a schematic position, not an actual third track. Exemplarily, the first part of the third track 224 can be laid under the cargo space, and the second part connected to the first part can extend out. In the first example, there is no picking channel 222 laid between the goods position above the third track 224 and the first track 221, and at this moment, the second part of the third track 224 can be directly connected with the first track 221, so as to carry The equipment 230 can switch from the first track 221 to the third track 224, and drive under the corresponding cargo space along the third track 224, and remove the items on the corresponding cargo space or place the items on the corresponding cargo space . In the second example, a picking channel 222 can be laid between the goods position above the third track 224 and the first track 221, and the surface of the picking channel 222 is also laid with a fourth track connected to the first track 221. The second part of the third track 224 can be connected to the fourth track, so that the handling equipment 230 can switch from the first track 221 to the fourth track, and then enter under the corresponding cargo space along the fourth track and the third track 224 . In a third example, a picking channel 222 can be laid between the goods position above the third track 224 and the first track 221, and the surface of the picking channel 222 is not laid with the above-mentioned fourth track, that is, the second part of the third track 224 It is completely disconnected from the first track 221 , and at this time, the picking equipment or picking personnel 250 on the picking channel can be relied on to realize the transfer of items between the storage space and the handling equipment 230 . Of course, it can be understood that, in the second example, the handling equipment 230 is allowed to switch from the first track 221 to the fourth track, and then enter the corresponding storage space along the fourth track and the third track 224 to pick and place items. , also allows the picking equipment or picking personnel 250 on the picking lane to realize the transfer of items between the storage space and the handling equipment 230 .

Based on the third track set in the above-mentioned three-dimensional shelf, the handling equipment can be moved to the bottom of the storage space to pick and place items, thereby improving the automation of the storage system and saving manpower.

Exemplarily, a fourth track 225 can be laid on the surface of the picking channel 222, and the fourth track 225 is vertically laid with the first track 221, and the fourth track 225 can be connected with the third track 224 laid under the adjacent cargo space of the picking channel 222. In general, the handling equipment 230 is also used to switch from the first track 221 to the fourth track 225, and to enter under the corresponding cargo space along the fourth track 225 and the third track 224.

Referring to Figure 2, the fourth track 225 is shown. It should be noted that the fourth track 225 shown in FIG. 2 is only a schematic position, not an actual fourth track. A fourth track 225 perpendicular to the first track 221 is laid on the surface of the picking channel 222 . The fourth track 225 can connect the third track 224 with the first track 221 . A fourth track 225 may connect the first track 221 and the third track 224 across the pick lane 222 .

Based on the fourth track laid in the three-dimensional shelf, it is convenient for the handling equipment to pass through the picking channel and enter the bottom of the cargo space to pick up or release the goods. Exemplarily, the server may determine an operation mode for picking items on adjacent storage positions of the aisle according to current operation requirements. For example, if the current demand for items is high and the efficiency of item pick-and-place needs to be improved, the server can determine to adopt the first operation mode: that is, the picking equipment or pickers on the picking lane will pick up the goods in the adjacent goods position of the picking lane and the first Transfer items between the handling equipment on the track; if the current demand for items in and out of the warehouse is not high, the server can determine to adopt the second operation mode: that is, the handling equipment will switch from the first track to the second track according to the task instructions issued by the server. Four tracks, and along the fourth track and the third track, enter under the cargo space adjacent to the picking channel, and the handling equipment will pick and place items on the cargo space by itself. As a result, the degree of automation of the storage system can be further improved, and an appropriate operation mode can be flexibly adopted according to actual needs.

In one embodiment, the third track 224 and the first track 221 may not be in the same plane, but the upper surfaces of the picking channel 222 and the third track 224 may be flush.

The upper surface of the fourth rail 225 may be flush with the upper surface of the third rail 224, or there may be a certain height difference. When there is a height difference, a slope track can be set at the junction of the fourth track 225 and the third track 224 to connect the fourth track 225 with the third track 224, or connect the fourth track 225 and/or the third track 224 The connecting end of the track is designed as a slope, which makes the transition between the two track connections smooth.

Thereby, it can be ensured that the transport equipment can switch smoothly between the third track and the fourth track, so that the movement of the transport equipment is more stable.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf 220 is provided with a plurality of first rails 221, and one side or both sides of some of the first rails 221 are laid with picking channels 222; 230 is also used to switch from the first track 221 to the third track 224, through the third track 224 to enter under the cargo space for pick-and-place operations. Exemplarily, in the three-dimensional shelf 220, there may also be a situation that only one side of part of the first rails 221 is adjacent to the cargo space, see No. 6 first rail 221 in FIG. 2 .

In one embodiment, multiple first rails 221 can be laid in the three-dimensional shelf 220 . With reference to Fig. 2, one side or both sides of part of the first track 221 is laid with picking channel 222, such as No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 first track 221 in Fig. 2; Adjacent, for example, No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 first track 221 in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 2 , picking channels can be laid in some areas of the three-dimensional shelf 220 , for example, picking channels can be laid around some or all of the first rails in any layer or layers of the three-dimensional shelf 220 .

Optionally, no picking channel may be laid around some or all of the first rails of any layer or layers of each layer of the three-dimensional shelf 220, but directly adjacent to the storage space. In this case, the handling equipment 230 can switch to the third rail 224 through the part where the first rail 221 is connected to the third rail 224, so as to enter under the cargo space to take out the articles or place the articles on the cargo space.

Therefore, based on the laying position of the picking channel, the location of the item placement and its pick-and-place path can be flexibly configured according to the storage requirements, so as to better ensure the efficiency of pick-and-place items and meet different usage needs.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf 220 may include a first partition and a second partition, the first partition is provided with a plurality of parallel first rails 221, and at least one side of each first rail 221 is laid with a picking channel 222; Picking lanes are not included in the second division.

A plurality of parallel first rails may be arranged in the first subregion, and at least one side of each first rail may be provided with a sorting channel, while no sorting channel may be provided in the second subregion. Since the first partition is paved with picking aisles, it is convenient for picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment 230, which is especially suitable for goods with large shipments and high frequency, so the first partition can be mainly used It is suitable for placing goods that come in and out of the warehouse frequently. Conversely, the second partition can be used for stable storage and goods with low frequency of entry and exit.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional shelf 220 can be partitioned by layers. As mentioned above, FIG. 2 shows the layout of a single layer of the three-dimensional shelf 220, and the currently presented single layer can be regarded as a partition, and each of the other unpresented layers can also be regarded as a partition. Optionally, the three-dimensional shelf 220 can also be partitioned in other ways, such as partitioning by rows or columns. For example, the first partition can include all cargo locations on the same side of floors 1-N, for example, all cargo locations in the A-D area of floors 1-N, and the second partition can include all cargo locations on the other side of floors 1-N. location, such as all cargo locations in the E-F area of the 1-N floor. In addition, the first partition and the second partition may also be different rows or columns within any layer. For example, the first partition may include the cargo locations in areas A-D of the first floor, while the second partition may include the cargo locations in the E-F areas of the first floor. In short, the picking layout method of this application is very flexible. Some parts of the three-dimensional shelf can be set without picking channels, and the handling equipment can pick and place items on the storage space by itself, while some parts can be laid with picking channels. Picking equipment or pickers on aisles transfer items between bays and handling equipment.

Based on the above method, the three-dimensional shelf is divided into partitions, so that the items with frequent demand and less demand can be placed separately, which helps to improve the efficiency of picking and placing items, and also facilitates management.

Exemplarily, the storage system may further include: a hoist 240 for transporting items between different layers of the three-dimensional shelf 220 and/or transporting the handling equipment 230, and the handling equipment 230 is laid along the fourth track 225 on the picking channel 222 Or the first track 221 reaches the hoist 240 .

In one embodiment, the hoist 240 may be a non-powered transfer device, or a powered transfer device. The hoist 240 is used for ascending or descending to the target floor according to the task instruction or transport instruction sent by the server 210, and at least transport the items and/or the transport equipment 230 indicated by the task instruction between each floor. Wherein, the target floor is the floor that the hoist 240 needs to reach when carrying out the transport task.

In one embodiment, for a layer that cannot be connected to the area by the first track 221, when it is necessary to call the transport equipment 230 between different areas of the floor, the area where the transport equipment 230 is called out can be used as the starting area, and the transport equipment 230 that is called in can be used The area of device 230 serves as the destination area. The server 210 is used to determine the layers of all areas connected by the first track 221 closest to the layer as the intermediate layer. The server 210 can send a call command to the transport equipment 230 in the departure area, send a task command to the hoist 240 connecting the middle layer and the departure area, and send a task command to the hoist 240 connected to the middle layer and the destination area, so that the transport equipment 230 passes After the two elevators 240 and the first track 221 of the middle layer, it arrives at the destination area from the departure area.

It can be understood that the transport equipment 230 can reach the elevator 240 along the fourth rail 225 or the first rail 221 laid on the picking channel 222 . That is, the fourth rail 225 used to connect to the elevator 240 is a rail laid vertically to the picking channel 222 , and the way of laying the fourth rail 225 can be understood with reference to the above description, and will not be repeated here.

Based on the hoist device in the above storage system, articles and/or handling equipment can be transported between different floors, thereby improving the transportation efficiency between floors.

Exemplarily, the storage system may also include a picking device (not shown in FIG. 2 ), which is located on the picking channel 222 and is used to place the items on the handling device 230 on the storage space or take out the items on the storage space. Place on the handling equipment 230.

In one embodiment, the picking device may be a robotic arm. The mechanical arm can be arranged on the picking channel 222 , and can carry the items on the handling device 230 to the storage space, and can also place the items on the storage space on the handling equipment 230 .

Based on the picking equipment in the warehousing system, it can replace the picking personnel to pick items, thus saving manpower and avoiding safety accidents of picking personnel on the picking channel.

Exemplarily, one or more picking devices are arranged in any picking channel in the three-dimensional shelf 220, and one or more picking devices can move to different positions on the corresponding picking channel 222 for picking and placing items; or, A plurality of picking devices are arranged in any picking channel in the three-dimensional shelf 220, and the position of each picking device in the multiple picking devices is fixed, and is used for picking and placing items for a fixed storage space.

In one embodiment, a plurality of picking devices, such as a plurality of robotic arms, may be respectively set at different positions in the picking channel 222 . In this case, the positions of multiple picking devices may be fixed, and each picking device may be used to pick and place goods and/or containers on at least one storage location within its working radius. In another embodiment, the picking device may be one or more movable picking devices, for example, the movable picking device may be a movable robotic arm formed by a movable chassis and a robotic arm. In this case, each mobile picking device can move to the location of the target storage space according to the received instruction, and pick and place the goods and/or containers on the target storage space.

Based on the above two types of picking equipment, items can be flexibly picked and placed according to picking requirements, thereby improving the efficiency of picking and placing items.

The foregoing describes an embodiment in which picking equipment such as a robot arm is used to pick and place items, and another embodiment in which pickers manually pick and place items is described below. In the manual-based item pick-and-place solution, the picker can interact with the server 210 and/or the handling device 230 through the client to obtain information about the items to be picked and placed, and then realize the pick-and-place of the items.

Exemplarily, the warehousing system further includes: a client, configured to receive task completion information; and send task completion information to the handling equipment 230, and notify the handling equipment 230 to move to other locations along the first track 221 .

The aforementioned task may be an item pick-and-place task, that is, a task of placing an item on a storage space and/or taking an item from a storage space. Correspondingly, the task completion information may be the completion of placing items on the storage space or the completion of taking out items from the storage space.

In an embodiment, the client may be any suitable terminal device, including but not limited to smart phones, tablet computers, PDAs and the like. The client terminal can receive the information input by the picker after the task is completed, and then send the information that the task has been completed to the handling device 230 . After receiving the information sent by the client, the transport device 230 can move along the first track 221 to a target position, such as the initial position on the bottom of the three-dimensional shelf 220, or a picking site. It can be understood that the client can also upload the completion information of the current task to the server 210 to start the next task.

The client device based on the warehousing system can send task instructions to the server more conveniently, and the picker can check the task progress in time to ensure the smooth execution of the pick-and-place task.

In the case that the handling equipment is a four-way shuttle, the various tracks mentioned in this application, including the first track, the third track, and the fourth track, are different from the tracks in the existing four-way shuttle three-dimensional warehouse. The structure and function are similar.

The warehousing system management method, interaction method, server, client device, storage medium and computer program product according to the embodiments of the application are introduced below. The storage system management method may be the method applied to the server 210 described above.

Next, a storage system management method according to an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . Fig. 3 shows a schematic flowchart of a storage system management method 300 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3 , the storage system management method 300 includes steps S310, S320 and S330.

In step S310, task information is acquired, and the task information is used to indicate the pick-and-place task of the item.

Exemplarily, the user may input task information for instructing the item pick-and-place task through an input device on the server, or transmit the task information to the server through a device such as a user client, so that the server may obtain the task information, or the server may The task information is received from other devices (such as a third-party warehouse management system).

Step S320, notifying the picking equipment or client task information located in the picking lane, instructing the picking equipment or picking personnel to perform the task of picking items from or placing items on a shelf adjacent to the picking lane Task, the picking channel is laid between at least one cargo space of the three-dimensional shelf and the first track, the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for picking equipment or picking personnel between the cargo space and the handling equipment Transfer items.

Exemplarily, the server may send the acquired task information to the picking device or the client, so as to notify the picking device or the picking personnel using the client of the task information. For example, the server can send the received task information: Arrive at the B01 location to pick up the goods to the client, and the picker can move along the picking channel to pick up the goods near the B01 location according to the task information received from the client. The setting method and function of the picking channel have been described above, so I won’t go into details here.

Step S330, receiving feedback information about the task execution status sent by the picking device or the client.

Exemplarily, the server may also receive feedback information about the task execution status sent by the picking device or the client, and based on the current feedback information, indicate to perform the next pick-and-place task or determine that all pick-and-place tasks have been completed.

Based on the above storage system management method, since the picking equipment or picking personnel are allowed to pick and place items on the picking channel, and the picking channel is set between the cargo space and the first track on which the handling equipment moves, this solution can Improve the efficiency of picking and placing items and reduce the operating cost of the storage system. In addition, since the picking equipment or picking personnel and the handling equipment each have their own passages, the safety of picking and placing items in this solution is also higher.

Exemplarily, the storage system management method according to the embodiment of the present application may be implemented in a device, device or system having a memory and a processor.

The storage system management method according to the embodiment of the present application can be deployed at the image acquisition end, for example, can be deployed at the personal terminal or the server end with the image acquisition function.

Alternatively, the management method of the warehouse system according to the embodiment of the present application can also be deployed in a distributed manner on the server side (or cloud) and at the personal terminal. For example, the task information can be generated at the personal terminal, and the personal terminal can transmit the generated task information to the server (or cloud), and the server (or cloud) can manage the storage system.

Exemplarily, the task information in the warehousing system management method 300 may include the goods identification information of the goods in the target order, and notifying the picking equipment or the client in the picking channel of the task information includes: sending the picking equipment or the client the information in the target order The goods identification information of any current goods; in response to the picking completion information related to the current goods received from the monitoring equipment, or in response to the picking completion information received from the picking equipment or the client, send the target order to the picking equipment or the client The goods identification information of the next goods, wherein the monitoring equipment is used to identify the goods carried by the handling equipment to determine whether the current goods are picked.

The monitoring device used to identify the goods carried by the handling equipment and determine whether the current goods have been picked may be a camera or a radio frequency (Radio Frequency Identification, RFID) identification device or the like. The goods may be provided with an identifier that uniquely identifies the goods, and the identifier includes but is not limited to a two-dimensional code, a barcode, an RFID tag, and the like. In the case that the identifier of the goods includes an RFID tag, the RFID identification device can be used to detect whether there is an RFID tag of the current goods on the handling equipment. If there is, it is determined that the picking of the current goods is completed, otherwise it is determined that the picking of the current goods is not completed. In addition, when the identifier of the goods includes information such as QR codes and barcodes, the camera can be used to scan whether there are QR codes or barcodes of the current goods on the handling equipment. If they exist, the picking of the current goods is completed, otherwise it is determined Picking of the current item is not complete. Of course, optionally, the images of the handling equipment may also be collected by the camera, and based on the image features of the collected images, it may be identified whether the handling equipment contains the current goods. Identification in this case can be achieved through machine learning algorithms such as neural network models.

Optionally, in addition to monitoring whether the current goods have been picked through the monitoring equipment, the picking equipment or the picking personnel may actively transmit the picking completion information to the server after the picking equipment or the picking personnel complete the picking of the current goods.

In one embodiment, the task information may include goods identification information of goods in the target order. For example, the cargo identification information may include serial number information of the cargo and/or location information of the cargo location where the cargo is located. The serial number information of the goods may be a serial number expressed in the form of numbers, letters, symbols, etc. Through the identification information of the goods, the picking equipment or picking personnel can find the location where the goods are located and pick them. When the target order contains multiple goods, the server can send the goods identification information of all goods to the picking equipment or the client at one time, or send the goods identification information of the current goods to the picking equipment or the client first, and wait for the current goods to be picked. After completion, the server sends the goods identification information of the next goods to the picking equipment or the client again until the picking of all goods is completed.

In the above technical solution, after the current cargo is sorted, the cargo identification information of the next cargo is sent, which facilitates real-time monitoring of the progress of the picking task and avoids confusing the picking equipment or picking personnel.

Exemplarily, the task information in the warehousing system management method 300 may also include position indication information of the goods in the target order, and notifying the picking equipment or the client in the picking channel of the task information includes: sending the picking equipment or the client the information related to the target order The first position indication information related to any current goods in the system, to indicate that the picking equipment or picking personnel arrive at the first target position, and the first target position is the channel position corresponding to the position of the current goods on the picking channel; and/or , the method further includes: sending second position indication information related to any current goods in the target order to the handling equipment, so as to instruct the handling equipment to move to a second target position, the second target position is where the current goods are located on the first track The position corresponds to the orbital position.

In an embodiment, the first position indication information may be used to instruct the picking equipment or picking personnel to move to the first target position. Exemplarily, the first location information may include the location information of the location where the current cargo is located, and/or the location information where the picker should arrive on the picking lane. Correspondingly, the first target position may be the location where the current goods are located, and may also be the coordinates that the picker should arrive at on the picking channel, that is, the first target position. No matter what type of information the first location information includes, it can be used to instruct the picking equipment or pickers to arrive at the lane position on the picking lane corresponding to the current position of the goods.

Similarly, the second position indication information may be used to instruct the transport equipment to move to the second target position. The second location information may include the location information of the cargo location where the current cargo is located, and/or the location information that the handling equipment should reach on the first track. Correspondingly, the second target position may be the location where the current cargo is located, and may also be the coordinates that the handling equipment should reach on the first track, that is, the second target position. No matter what type of information the second position information includes, it can be used to indicate that the handling device has arrived at a track position on the first track corresponding to the current position of the goods.

When the picking equipment or picking personnel and the handling equipment complete the picking task, there may be at least the following three schemes: Scheme 1, the server instructs the picking equipment or picking personnel to reach the first target position, and the picking equipment or picking personnel interact with the handling equipment through the client To control the handling equipment to follow to the second target position; option 2, the server instructs the handling equipment to reach the second target position, and the picking equipment or picking personnel follow the handling equipment to move to the first target position; option 3, the server respectively instructs the picking equipment or The picker arrives at the first target location and instructs the handling device to arrive at the second target location.

In the above technical solution, the server can send a task instruction to the picking equipment or the client and/or the handling equipment through the position indication information of the goods in the target order, thereby instructing the picking equipment or the picking personnel and the handling equipment to move to a location near the current goods. Picking of goods at the location, this solution can improve the automation of the storage system.

Exemplarily, the three-dimensional shelf can include a plurality of areas, each area includes at least one cargo space, and the plurality of areas correspond one-to-one to a plurality of preset track positions on the first track, and the second target position is a plurality of preset track positions The preset track location in Location that corresponds to the region where the current cargo is located.

Optionally, when the handling equipment moves on the first track, it can move in real time, that is, each position can be moved to. Optionally, when the handling equipment moves on the first track, it can also move in sections. Referring to FIG. 2 again, the No. 2 first track 221 can be divided into four sections, which are represented by 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, and 2-4 (separated by dotted lines in FIG. 2 ). Each segment on the first track has a corresponding preset track position, for example, the middle position of the track segment. As shown in Figure 3, area B includes 5 cargo spaces, and these 5 cargo spaces can be further divided into 3 areas (which can be referred to as sub-areas), corresponding to 2-1, 2 of No. 2 first track 221 respectively. -2, 2-3 these 3 paragraphs. In addition, area C includes 7 cargo spaces, and these 7 cargo spaces can be divided into 4 areas, corresponding to 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4 of No. 2 first track 221 respectively. part. Assuming that it is desired to carry out the pick-and-place operation of items at the B01 or B02 cargo space, the handling equipment can be controlled to move to the middle position of section 2-1 of the No. 2 first track 221 for operation.

In the above technical solution, when the handling equipment moves on the first track, it can move in sections, so that the requirements for the control of the handling equipment are relatively low, and the requirements for the computing power of the storage system are also relatively low.

Exemplarily, a second track is laid between the picking channel and the first track, and the second track is used for the safety protection device to move on it. While sending the first position indication information or the second position indication information related to any current goods in the target order to the handling equipment, the method also includes: sending a first movement instruction to the safety protection device to control the movement of the safety protection device To the blocking position, the blocking position is the track position corresponding to the current position of the goods on the second track.

In one embodiment, a second track is laid between the picking channel and the first track, on which the safety protection device can move. The setting method and function of the second track have been described above, and will not be repeated here. The server knows the current position of the goods, and in the process of instructing the picking equipment or picking personnel to move to the first target position and/or instruct the handling equipment to move to the second target position, it can also control the safety protection device to move to the corresponding track position, To prevent the handling equipment from entering the picking channel in time.

For example, when the current cargo is located on the B01 cargo space, the server may send a first movement instruction to the safety protection device to control the safety protection device to move to the blocking position 1-A. Similarly, when the current cargo is located on the B02 cargo space, the server may send a first movement instruction to the safety protection device to control the safety protection device to move to the blocking position 1-B. For the convenience of understanding, the blocking position 1-A and the blocking position 1-B in Fig. 2 are separated by a dotted line in the middle.

In the above technical solution, in the process of picking the current goods and instructing the picking equipment or picking personnel to move to the first target position and/or instruct the handling equipment to move to the second target position, the safety protection device can be automatically controlled to reach the corresponding blocking Therefore, the safety protection device can automatically and timely play the role of safety protection, and improve the safety of picking equipment or picking personnel operating on the picking channel.

Exemplarily, the feedback information may include task completion information, and the method further includes: in response to the task completion information, sending a second movement instruction to the transport equipment, so as to control the transport equipment to move to the target site.

In an embodiment, the task completion information may include information on completion of all item pick-and-place tasks or information on completion of partial pick-and-place tasks. For example, the task completion information may include information about the completion of all picking of the target order, or information about the completion of picking of the current goods in the target order, or information about the amount of goods carried by the handling equipment reaching a threshold. After receiving the task completion information, the server can send a second movement instruction to the handling equipment, and control the handling equipment to return to the target site of the three-dimensional shelf.

Through the above solution, when all or part of the tasks are completed, the handling equipment can be automatically controlled to move to the target site, so as to facilitate the continued execution of follow-up tasks or inventory of the items of the handling equipment.

An interaction method according to another embodiment of the present application is described below. The interaction method may be the method applied to the above-mentioned client. Fig. 4 shows a schematic flowchart of an interaction method 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, the interaction method 400 includes steps S410, S420, S430 and S440.

Step S410, receiving task information from the server, the task information is used to indicate the task of picking items from or placing items on the storage space adjacent to the picking channel, and the picking channel is laid on the three-dimensional shelf Between the at least one storage space and the first track, the first track is used for moving equipment on the first track, and the picking channel is used for pickers to transfer items between the storage space and the transportation equipment.

Step S420, outputting task information for viewing by pickers.

In step S420, the task information may be output through an output device on the client. Output devices may include display devices and/or speakers, among others. The output device may output task information in at least one form of image, video, audio, text and the like. For example, the client receives the task information in step S410, and may display it on the user interface of the display screen of the client, so that the picker can view and execute it.

Step S430, receiving feedback information about task execution input by the picker.

In step S430, the feedback information input by the picker may be received through the input device on the client. The input device may include at least one of a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a microphone, and the like. Exemplarily, the client may receive feedback information indicating that all or part of the task input by the picker has been completed.

Step S440, returning feedback information to the server.

Exemplarily, after receiving the feedback information of the picking personnel in step S430, the client may send the feedback information to the server.

Based on the above interaction method, the task information can be sent to the picking personnel in time to instruct the picking personnel to perform the corresponding item pick-and-place task through the picking channel, and the task execution status can also be fed back to the server in a timely manner. This interactive method can help better Realize item pick and place. Since the picking channel is used to pick and place items, this solution has higher efficiency and higher safety for picking and placing items.

Exemplarily, the task information in the interaction method 400 may include position indication information of goods in the target order, where the position indication information includes first position indication information related to any current goods, and the first position indication information is used to instruct pickers Arriving at the first target position, the first target position is the channel position corresponding to the position of the current goods on the picking channel.

The first location indication information in the interaction method 400 has been described in detail in the storage system management method 300, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. It can be understood that the scheme of instructing the picker to arrive at the first target position through the first position indication information in this embodiment may include the two situations of scheme 1 and scheme 3 described above.

Through the above scheme, the task instruction can be sent to the client through the location indication information of the goods in the target order, thereby instructing the picking personnel to move to the location near the current goods to pick the goods. This scheme can improve the automation of the storage system .

Exemplarily, the interaction method 400 further includes: sending second position indication information related to the current cargo to the handling equipment, so as to instruct the handling equipment to move to a second target position, and the second target position is on the first track where the current cargo is located. The position corresponds to the orbital position.

The second location indication information in the interaction method 400 has been described in detail in the storage system management method 300, and will not be repeated here for brevity. After the picker moves to the first target position or in the process of going to the first target position, the client may send the second position indication information to the transport equipment to control the transport equipment to follow and move to the second target position. This mobile scheme is scheme one described above.

The client sends the second position indication information related to the current cargo to the handling equipment to control the movement of the handling equipment, thereby realizing the automatic follow-up movement of the handling equipment. Compared with controlling the movement of the handling equipment through the server, this solution facilitates the picker to control the position and timing of the movement of the handling equipment, making the movement of the handling equipment more accurate and more autonomous.

According to another aspect of the present application, a storage system management device is provided. Fig. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a storage system management device 500 according to an embodiment of the present application.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the storage system management device 500 according to the embodiment of the present application includes an acquisition module 510 , a notification module 520 and a reception module 530 . Each module can respectively execute each step of the storage system management method described above in FIG. 3 . In the following, only the main functions of the components of the storage system management device 500 will be described, and the details described above will be omitted.

The obtaining module 510 is used to obtain task information, and the task information is used to indicate the task of picking and placing items. The acquiring module 510 may be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

The notification module 520 is used to notify the picking equipment or client task information located in the picking lane, and instruct the picking equipment or pickers to pick items from or place items on a shelf adjacent to the picking lane The task on the top, the picking channel is laid between at least one cargo space of the three-dimensional shelf and the first track, the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for picking equipment or picking personnel to move between the cargo space and the said Transfer items between handling equipment. The notification module 520 can be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running the program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

The receiving module 530 is configured to receive feedback information about task execution sent by the picking device or the client. The receiving module 530 may be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed by hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be regarded as exceeding the scope of the present application.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a server 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The server 600 includes a memory 610 and a processor 620 .

The memory 610 stores computer program instructions for implementing corresponding steps in the storage system management method according to the embodiment of the present application.

The processor 620 is used to execute the computer program instructions stored in the memory 610 to execute corresponding steps of the storage system management method according to the embodiment of the present application.

In one embodiment, the computer program instructions are used to perform the following steps when executed by the processor 620: obtain task information, and the task information is used to indicate the pick-and-place task of the item; notify the picking device or client task information located in the picking channel to indicate the picking The equipment or picking personnel perform the task of picking items from or placing items on the storage space adjacent to the picking channel, and the picking channel is laid between at least one storage space and the first track of the three-dimensional shelf During the period, the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for the picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment; receive feedback information about task execution from the picking equipment or the client .

Exemplarily, the task information includes item identification information of items in the target order, and the server further includes a monitoring device for identifying items carried by the handling device to determine whether any current item in the target order has been picked.

The working principles and examples of the monitoring device have been described above, and will not be repeated here.

According to another aspect of the present application, an interaction device is also provided. Fig. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of an interaction device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the interaction device 700 according to the embodiment of the present application includes a first receiving module 710 , an output module 720 , a second receiving module 730 and a returning module 740 . Each module can respectively execute each step of the interaction method described above in FIG. 3 . In the following, only the main functions of the components of the interaction device 700 will be described, and the details described above will be omitted.

The first receiving module 710 is used to receive task information from the server, and the task information is used to indicate the task of picking items from or placing items on the storage space adjacent to the picking channel, and the picking channel laying Between at least one position of the three-dimensional shelf and the first track, the first track is used for moving equipment on the first track, and the picking channel is used for pickers to transfer items between the position and the handling equipment. The first receiving module 710 may be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

The output module 720 is used to output task information for viewing by pickers. The output module 720 can be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running the program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

The second receiving module 730 is used for receiving the feedback information input by the picker about the task execution situation. The second receiving module 730 can be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running the program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

The returning module 740 is used for returning feedback information to the server. The return module 740 can be implemented by the processor 102 in the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 running the program instructions stored in the storage device 104 .

According to another aspect of the present application, a client device (that is, the aforementioned client) is also provided. Fig. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of a client device 800 according to an embodiment of the present application. The client device 800 includes a memory 810 , a processor 820 and a display 830 .

The memory 810 stores computer program instructions for implementing corresponding steps in the interaction method according to the embodiment of the present application.

The processor 820 is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the memory 810 to execute corresponding steps of the interaction method according to the embodiment of the present application.

In one embodiment, the computer program instructions are used to perform the following steps when executed by the processor 820: receiving task information from the server, the task information is used to instruct the execution of picking items from a shelf adjacent to the picking lane The task of placing items on the adjacent storage space, the picking channel is laid between at least one storage space of the three-dimensional shelf and the first track, the picking channel is parallel to the first track, and the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, picking The channel is used for the picker to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment; output task information for the picker to view; receive the feedback information entered by the picker about the task execution; return the feedback information to the server.

The display screen 830 is used to display the above task information. The above step of outputting task information for viewing by pickers can be realized through the display screen 830 . After the display screen 830 displays the task information on its display interface, the picker can directly check the task information on the display interface. The output mode of this task information is relatively intuitive.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present application, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored, and when the program instructions are executed by a computer or a processor, they are used to execute the corresponding steps of the storage system management method of the embodiment of the present application , and are used to implement corresponding modules in the storage system management device according to the embodiment of the present application. The storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage unit of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read only memory (CD), etc. -ROM), USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media.

In one embodiment, when the program instructions are executed by a computer or a processor, the computer or processor can realize each functional module of the storage system management device according to the embodiment of the application, and/or can execute the program according to the embodiment of the application. Warehousing system management method 300 .

In one embodiment, the program instructions are used to perform the following steps when running: obtain task information, and the task information is used to indicate the pick-and-place task of the item; notify the picking equipment or client task information located in the picking channel, and instruct the picking equipment or picking personnel Perform the task of picking items from or placing items on a storage space adjacent to the picking channel, where the picking channel is laid between at least one storage position and the first track of the three-dimensional shelf, the first The track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for the picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer items between the storage space and the handling equipment; to receive feedback information about task execution sent by the picking equipment or the client.

Each module in the server according to the embodiment of the present application can be realized by running the computer program instructions stored in the memory by the processor of the server implementing warehouse system management according to the embodiment of the present application, or can be implemented in the computer according to the embodiment of the present application The computer instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium of the program product are implemented when executed by a computer.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present application, there is also provided a storage medium, on which program instructions are stored, and when the program instructions are executed by a computer or a processor, the corresponding steps of the interaction method in the embodiment of the present application are executed, and It is used to implement corresponding modules in the interaction device according to the embodiment of the present application. The storage medium may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage unit of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read only memory (CD), etc. -ROM), USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media.

In one embodiment, when the program instructions are executed by a computer or a processor, the computer or processor can realize each functional module of the interaction device according to the embodiment of the application, and/or can execute the interaction method according to the embodiment of the application 400.

In one embodiment, the program instructions are operable to perform the steps of: receiving task information from a server indicating to perform picking of items from a shelf adjacent to a picking lane or at a shelf adjacent to a picking lane; The task of placing items on the position, the picking channel is laid between at least one position of the three-dimensional shelf and the first track, the first track is used for the handling equipment to move on it, and the picking channel is used for picking personnel to move between the position and the handling equipment Transfer items between; output task information for the picker to view; receive feedback information about task execution entered by the picker; return feedback information to the server.

Each module in the server according to the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by running the computer program instructions stored in the memory by the processor of the client device implementing interaction according to the embodiment of the present application, or can be implemented in the computer according to the embodiment of the present application The computer instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium of the program product are implemented when executed by a computer.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product includes a computer program, and the computer program is used to execute the interaction method 300 or the interaction method 400 when running.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present application, a computer program is also provided, and the computer program is used to execute the above warehouse system management method 300 or the interaction method 400 when running.

Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above-described example embodiments are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the application thereto. Various changes and modifications can be made therein by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this application as claimed in the appended claims.

Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed by hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be regarded as exceeding the scope of the present application.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated. to another device, or some features may be ignored, or not implemented.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the application may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this description.

Similarly, it should be understood that in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the application, various features of the application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, in order to streamline the application and to facilitate understanding of one or more of the various application aspects. , or in its description. This method of application, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed application requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the corresponding claims reflect, the inventive point lies in that the corresponding technical problem may be solved by using less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following this Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this application.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that all features disclosed in this specification (including accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) and all features of any method or apparatus so disclosed may be used in any combination, except where the features are mutually exclusive. process or unit. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments herein include some features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the present application. And form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

The various component embodiments of the present application may be realized in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art should understand that a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP) may be used in practice to implement some or all functions of some modules in the storage system management device or the interaction device according to the embodiment of the present application. The present application can also be implemented as an apparatus program (for example, a computer program and a computer program product) for performing a part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present application may be stored on a computer-readable medium, or may be in the form of one or more signals. Such a signal may be downloaded from an Internet site, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the application, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names.

The above is only the specific implementation of the application or the description of the specific implementation. The scope of protection of the application is not limited thereto. Any skilled person familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes within the technical scope disclosed in this application. Or replacement, should be covered within the protection scope of this application. The protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims (27)

1. A storage system comprises a server, a three-dimensional goods shelf and a carrying device,

the server is used for sending a task instruction to the carrying equipment;

the three-dimensional goods shelf is provided with a plurality of goods spaces, a first rail and a picking channel, the picking channel is laid between at least one goods space and the first rail, the first rail is used for enabling the carrying equipment to move upwards, and the picking channel is used for enabling the picking equipment or picking personnel to transfer goods between the goods spaces and the carrying equipment;

and the carrying equipment is used for carrying the articles taken out of the goods space adjacent to the picking passage by the picking equipment or the picking personnel or carrying the articles to the first rail from other places based on the task instruction.

2. The warehousing system of claim 1, wherein the warehousing system further comprises a safety guard disposed between the picking aisles and the first track.

3. The warehousing system of claim 2, wherein a second track is further disposed within the stereoscopic shelf,

the second rail is laid between the first rail and the picking channel, and the second rail is parallel to the first rail and the picking channel in pairs;

the safety shield is movable along the second track.

4. The warehousing system of any one of claims 1-3,

the three-dimensional goods shelf is also internally provided with a third rail, the third rail is vertically paved with the first rail, part of the third rail is paved below the goods space, and the carrying equipment is further used for driving the third rail below the corresponding goods space and carrying away the goods on the corresponding goods space or placing the goods on the corresponding goods space.

5. The warehousing system of claim 4, wherein a fourth track is laid on a surface of the picking aisle, the fourth track is laid perpendicular to the first track, the fourth track is communicated with the third track laid below a cargo space adjacent to the picking aisle, and the handling device is further configured to switch from the first track to the fourth track and enter below a corresponding cargo space along the fourth track and the third track.

6. The warehousing system of claim 5, wherein an upper surface of the fourth track is flush with an upper surface of the third track.

7. The warehousing system of any one of claims 4-6, wherein a plurality of first tracks are disposed within the stereoscopic shelf, and the picking aisles are laid on one or both sides of some of the first tracks;

and part of the first track is adjacent to the goods position, and the carrying equipment is also used for switching from the first track to the third track and entering the position below the goods position through the third track to carry out goods taking and placing operation.

8. The warehousing system of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the stereoscopic shelf includes a first section and a second section, the first section having a plurality of parallel first tracks disposed therein, and at least one side of each first track having the picking lane disposed thereon; the second partition does not contain the picking lanes therein.

9. The warehousing system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the warehousing system further comprises: the lifting machine is used for transporting goods among different layers of the stereoscopic shelf and/or transporting the carrying equipment, and the carrying equipment reaches the lifting machine along the fourth rail or the first rail laid on the picking passage.

10. The warehousing system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the warehousing system further comprises the picking devices located on the picking aisles for placing items on the totes on a cargo space or for retrieving items on a cargo space for placement on the totes.

11. The warehousing system of claim 10, wherein one or more picking devices are disposed in any picking lane in the stereoscopic shelf, and the one or more picking devices can be moved to different cargo spaces on the corresponding picking lane for item picking and placing operations; or,

any picking channel in the three-dimensional goods shelf is internally provided with a plurality of picking devices, and the position of each picking device in the plurality of picking devices is fixed and is used for picking and placing articles aiming at the fixed goods position.

12. The warehousing system of any of claims 1-11, wherein the warehousing system further comprises:

the client is used for receiving information of task completion; and sending information of task completion to the carrying equipment, and informing the carrying equipment to move to other positions along the first rail.

13. The warehousing system of claim 5 or 6, wherein the server is further configured to determine an operation mode of items on a cargo space adjacent to the picking aisles according to a current operation demand, the operation mode being a first operation mode or a second operation mode;

in the first mode of operation: transferring items between a cargo space adjacent the picking aisles and the handling apparatus on the first track by the picking apparatus or the picker on the picking aisles;

in the second mode of operation: and the carrying equipment is switched from the first track to the fourth track according to a task instruction issued by the server, enters the lower part of the goods position adjacent to the picking channel along the fourth track and the third track, and takes and places the goods on the goods position by self.

14. A method of warehousing system management, comprising:

acquiring task information, wherein the task information is used for indicating an article taking and placing task;

notifying a picking device or a client located in a picking aisle of the task information, instructing the picking device or the picking staff to perform a task of picking items from or placing items on a cargo space adjacent to the picking aisle, wherein the picking aisle is arranged between at least one cargo space of a three-dimensional shelf and a first rail, the first rail is used for moving a carrying device on the upper side, and the picking aisle is used for transferring the items between the cargo space and the carrying device for the picking device or the picking staff;

and receiving feedback information about task execution conditions sent by the picking equipment or the client.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the task information includes item identification information for items in the target order, and wherein notifying a picking device or client located on a picking aisle of the task information includes:

sending goods identification information of any current goods in the target order to the picking equipment or the client;

sending goods identification information of a next goods in the target order to the picking device or the client in response to picking completion information related to the current goods received from a monitoring device or in response to the picking completion information received from the picking device or the client, wherein the monitoring device is used for identifying the goods transported by the transporting device to determine whether the current goods are picked completely.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein the task information comprises position indication information of goods in the target order,

the informing of the picking device or the client located on the picking passage comprises: sending first location indication information related to any current item in the target order to the picking device or the client to indicate that the picking device or the picker reaches a first target location, the first target location being a lane location on the picking lane corresponding to a location of the current item; and/or the presence of a gas in the atmosphere,

the method further comprises the following steps: and sending second position indication information related to any current goods in the target order to the carrying equipment to indicate that the carrying equipment moves to a second target position, wherein the second target position is a track position corresponding to the position of the current goods on the first track.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the shelf includes a plurality of regions, each region including at least one cargo space, the plurality of regions corresponding to a plurality of predetermined track positions on the first track, and the second target position is a predetermined track position of the plurality of predetermined track positions corresponding to a region where the current cargo is located.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a second rail is positioned between the picking aisle and the first rail, the second rail being for safety guards to move up,

while sending first position indication information related to any current good in the target order to the picking device or the client or sending second position indication information related to any current good in the target order to the handling device, the method further comprises:

and sending a first moving instruction to the safety protection device to control the safety protection device to move to a blocking position, wherein the blocking position is a track position corresponding to the position of the current cargo on the second track.

19. The method of any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the feedback information includes task completion information, the method further comprising:

and responding to the task completion information, and sending a second movement instruction to the carrying equipment so as to control the carrying equipment to move to a target station.

20. An interaction method, comprising:

receiving task information from a server, wherein the task information is used for indicating that a task of picking items from a goods position adjacent to a picking passage or placing the items on the goods position adjacent to the picking passage is performed, the picking passage is paved between at least one goods position of a three-dimensional shelf and a first rail, the first rail is used for moving a carrying device upwards, and the picking passage is used for transferring the items between the goods position and the carrying device by picking personnel;

outputting the task information for viewing by the picker;

receiving feedback information about task execution input by the picker;

and returning the feedback information to the server.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the mission information includes location-indicating information for items in the target order, the location-indicating information including first location-indicating information associated with any current item, the first location-indicating information indicating that the picker is arriving at a first target location, the first target location being a lane location on the picking lane corresponding to a location of the current item.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

and sending second position indication information related to the current cargo to the carrying equipment to indicate that the carrying equipment moves to a second target position, wherein the second target position is a track position corresponding to the position of the current cargo on the first track.

23. A server comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory has stored therein computer program instructions for execution by the processor to perform the warehousing system management method of any of claims 14-19.

24. The server of claim 23, wherein the task information includes cargo identification information for cargo in the target order, the server further comprising a monitoring device for identifying cargo being handled by the handling device to determine whether any current cargo in the target order is picked to completion.

25. A client device comprising a display screen, a processor and a memory, wherein the display screen is configured to display task information, and wherein the memory has stored therein computer program instructions which, when executed by the processor, are configured to perform the interaction method of any one of claims 20 to 22.

26. A storage medium having stored thereon program instructions for performing, when executed, the warehousing system management method of any of claims 14-19; alternatively, the program instructions are operable, when executed, to perform the interaction method of any of claims 20 to 22.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer program for performing, when running, the warehousing system management method of any of claims 14-19; alternatively, the computer program is operative, when running, to perform the interaction method of any of claims 20 to 22.

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